Radio Naturopath Episode 275: The President Has COVID-19; Overweight/Obesity and COVID-19 and Risk Reduction

President Trump has contracted COVID-19. As is often the case when a president falls ill, there seems to be some confusion and protection about the president's actual health status. I wish him well and a full, speedy recovery, and same to the at last count 22 White House staff who have also contracted the virus. I expect there will be more. But I believe that the President and all of his staff and advisors behaved irresponsibly. In the time of a pandemic, or in any crisis or situation where there are leaders, it is incumbent upon the leaders to set a good example. By not wearing or requiring masks, by holding outdoor and indoor events without masking or social distancing, the president and his staff put countless people at risk. This virus is mild to most and deadly to some, and when anyone contracts it they don't know which they'll be. I believe that the Trump administration set a poor example for the American people in not taking COVID-19 seriously, and now that the president and many of those around him have shown that their actions definitely result in contracting the virus, they need to change their approach. From a public health, leadership, and human standpoint, the Trump administration has failed to set a good example for the American people. This is NOT how to lead. They should have been masking, encouraging and modeling physical distancing, and following the science. Let's hope that going forward they change their ways. 

Also, it is unfortunate to report that overweight and obesity contribute to the outcome of COVID-19. People with obesity are more than 2x as likely to be hospitalized, have 75% greater risk of going to the ICU, and 48% greater risk of dying. This does not mean that ALL overweight/obese people will have severe disease, but a greater percentage. I talk about ways to mitigate the risk using basic health practices, eating whole foods, hygiene, and supplementation. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 272: COVID-19: Sorting Out the Statistics, Testing Recommendations, The Bradykinin Theory and How to Calm Yours

This week I talked about: you guessed it, COVID-19. There were reports that only 6% of the people who had COVID-19 as one of their diagnosis codes had that as the only diagnosis; the rest had other conditions at the same time. Our dear leader and some of the right interpreted this to mean that only 9000 people actually died of COVID-19, not 200,000+. I sort this out; it's clear that these poor folk simply had comorbidities at the time of their death, and 6% of these deaths had no other diagnosis codes. This doesn't mean that they only died of COVID, but they could have comorbidities that were simply not listed. Nope, you don't get a pass, you still have to mask, distance, and wash. Also, the new head of the COVID-19 task force is now a neuroradiologist, Scott Atlas, who is in line with moving the economy and schooling forward, perhaps too quickly.

There was a study at Oak Ridge National Lab in Texas that suggested a bradykinin model of disease in COVID-19. Bradykinin modulators may be helpful in reducing the severity of the illness. There are many foods that you can eat that have polyphenols in them, which calm bradykinin. I list them off for you!